It’s not just working conditions and pay that are abysmal at this point. Our civil and human rights are being eroded across the world. Whether it’s Roe Vs Wade in the US or the new policing bill in the UK that makes protesting illegal, we are being funnelled into a world in which the only thing we are free to do is consume more and more stuff in the hope of making a few billionaires more money. As inequality rises, so does the spectre of catastrophic climate breakdown – as tipping point after tipping point is reached leaving us facing the prospect of an uninhabitable – or at least much less liveable – planet.
But we have power. Particularly when we organise through collective action. In the 1920s a general strike failed only because middle class workers stepped up to do the jobs of “workers”. But given the cost of living crisis affecting all classes at this point, and given social solidarity issues cut across class and race lines – if anything the time is better than ever before to organise a mass general strike in both the US and the UK, one which would bring both countries to a halt.
It would have to be a strike that doesn’t just withhold labour; but one that withholds consumption. Let us learn lessons from lockdowns in how to be still. How to stop ourselves from going out to the shops or malls to purchase stuff, and instead work together on local street projects to bring people together and strengthen bonds between communities.
With a clear list of demands for higher taxes on wealth, a universal basic income and national living wage, disinvestment from fossil fuels, investment in renewable energy and – perhaps crucially – the enshrining of our individual rights and liberty into our government laws and institutions – we can come together to bring our respective administrations to their knees. Because we the people have the power; the power to create wealth for others and by inference the power to withdraw it.
So the question is – how would we organise such a strike?
We have the tools now for a rapid mass communication campaign. Go fund me accounts could be used to purchase huge swathes if real world advertising (billboards, newspaper ads etc) that would likely in themselves generate news headlines that further spread the word. Effective Press releases and media management skills could ensure we use this to our advantage, all while using social media to spread our core messages and tap into new mindsets. At the same time, use of apps or services like Discord/signal to coordinate with “cells” or groups of people quickly would help ensure the movement remains coordinated and stable.
Crucially, joining unions and bringing unions onside to carry the message and join the cause could help protect individuals from retrospective action from employers. Though we may all need to be brave in standing up for a shared cause; knowing that through our numbers, we are protected. Again, crowdfunding / fundraising could ensure that money is provided to those workers most in need of funds; meaning that those lowest paid individuals could financially afford to take part.
What else would we need? And who’s up for it?